


Coming Clean

by innerslytherin



Series: The Fifth Year [24]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-04
Updated: 2010-07-04
Packaged: 2017-10-10 09:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/98193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/innerslytherin/pseuds/innerslytherin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emily gets tired of keeping secrets.  Spencer and Hotch have to share a bed.  And occasionally love is the only comfort there is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Clean

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [](http://resolucidity.livejournal.com/profile)[**resolucidity**](http://resolucidity.livejournal.com/) for the beta. Spoilers for "Exit Wounds".

  
Between JJ's goading her about Mick Rawson and Morgan's remark about Dave's tux--he'd had a political fundraiser Emily had turned down in favor of girls night out--she'd just about had it with her team.

"Working on wife number four," Emily muttered, following the others across the tarmac. She couldn't decide whether to glare at Morgan for taking the shot or Dave because he didn't say anything in response. She ended up glowering at both sets of broad shoulders. Being engaged and trying to get pregnant was clearly wreaking havoc on her compartmentalization skills, because she suddenly wanted to announce to the whole team that she and Dave were getting married.

Dave sat next to her on the jet, at least, his leg pressed against hers. But she was still a little bit pissed when she had to squeeze in between Dave and Morgan on the float plane. She folded her arms and held herself tightly in her own space...and completely melted inside when Dave put his arm around her.

Damn it.

By the time they found out they had to share rooms, she'd forgotten she was tired of the pretense, but when Morgan announced he wasn't sleeping with Reid (and Emily was _so_ going to throw those words back in his face later), she decided she'd had enough. As soon as Garcia staked her claim on Morgan (and Emily was _so_ going to tease her about that later), Emily stood up. Before she could panic or think better of it, she blurted out, "Dave and I will share."

If she was expecting surprise from the team, she realized a moment later she should have known better.

"Thank God," JJ muttered, getting up from the couch. "I was afraid I was going to have to get Mick to call _Dave's_ cell phone instead of yours."

"It's about time," Hotch said, and curled a subtle hand around Reid's wrist as he headed for the stairs.

Morgan helped Garcia up. "Finally."

Emily sighed and put a hand over her eyes.

Behind her, Dave was laughing. He rested his hands on her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her ear. "You know," he murmured, "you were the one who told me Morgan already knew you were head over heels for me." He turned her to face the fireplace, standing close behind her and slipping an arm around her waist.

Emily leaned back. "Morgan pissed me off," she confessed.

"You were the one who didn't want to play politics last night," he pointed out.

"Yeah, well, from now on if it involves you and a tux, I'm going whether it's politics or not. Obviously I can't let you out of my sight." She tried to sound grumpy and failed miserably.

"You love me," he murmured.

She turned her head to kiss his jaw. "You know I do."

"Hey, hey, hey, enough of that in public," Morgan said, coming back through. "Get a room."

Emily laughed.

Dave laced his fingers with hers and led her towards the stairs. "So what was that JJ said about Mick?"

***

"Stop that," Spencer whispered, slapping Aaron's hand away from his side. "You'll get me...riled up."

Aaron laughed. "Spencer, it's a small bed," he pointed out. "I'm just trying not to fall out."

"You're touching me," Spencer hissed. "And be quiet. People might hear us."

"No one will hear us," Aaron said. He slid his arm firmly around Spencer's waist. "There's nothing to hear. We're not doing anything. Just sleeping."

Spencer heaved a long sigh, but Aaron could tell he was giving in. He smiled and kissed Spencer's jaw. "Now go to sleep," he murmured.

In the end they didn't get to sleep for long either. Aaron didn't ever want to see that look on Garcia's face again, but before he'd had the chance to do more than say her name, Morgan was there, pushing him out of the way in his haste to take care of his baby girl.

Aaron let him. If anyone could help her right now, it would be Morgan. He focused on working the case and when JJ slipped away to check on Penelope, he didn't say anything.

  
***

Emily couldn't help feeling for Cat Allen. She knew what it was like to give up on having kids because you weren't married. They'd ended up talking in front of the fireplace until Cat started yawning. JJ had offered to share with Garcia so Cat could have her own room; they figured PG needed the female company anyway. But the killing had taken a different direction that night anyway, and once they caught Owen, she realized Cat would never have been a victim. Owen was too focused on the hurt he blamed on Joshua and his mother.

On the jet home, she watched Morgan come along the aisle towards the kitchenette. She poured an extra cup of coffee.

"You pissed me off," Emily said, handing it over to Morgan. She watched his face as he looked down the length of the jet. His mind was only half on the present conversation, she thought, and maybe that was the way it ought to be. "Right up until you started taking care of PG," she added. She nudged his arm. "Go on. Go make her laugh."

He gave her a look, then took her other cup of coffee and walked back toward where Penelope was ensconced in the blanket she was knitting.

Emily rolled her eyes and poured two more cups, then carried them back to Dave. "You pissed me off too," she muttered, but when he looked quizzically at her, she just shook her head and snuggled under the arm he held out.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You did shoot someone today."

"He'll be fine." Dave sighed. "And he's better off for it." He kissed the top of her head. "If I'd let him take the shot, he'd have become exactly the sort of man he doesn't want to be."

Emily smiled. "You know what I love most about you? Professionally speaking, anyway. It's how much you care about these people. For you, that's the reason we do this, and even if you're a gruff old bear on the outside, you can't suppress that deep compassion for other people."

Dave grunted and sipped his coffee, but his arm tightened around her.

She glanced down at the ring she'd slipped onto her left hand the moment they boarded the plane. "I can't believe I told everyone," she whispered. She had known it wasn't really a secret, but she couldn't help being shocked at herself. She was changing. And even if it was for the better, she couldn't help but be a little afraid of what she was leaving herself open to.

"I'm glad you did," Dave murmured. His voice was husky, and when she looked up, the expression on his face wiped all her doubts away.

  
***

"Are you okay?" Spencer asked softly. His thigh was brushing Aaron's, their ankles pressed together. It was a small thing, but it comforted him.

Aaron's brows went up and down in an acknowledgment of the question, but he didn't answer otherwise. Spencer finally reached out and rested his fingers against Aaron's wrist. His lover sighed.

"I keep thinking about Owen's mother," he admitted. "Did she harbor a serial killer in the making because she was afraid of him, or because she was afraid of her husband?"

Spencer didn't have any answers. He knew why Aaron was asking, but he still didn't know how to comfort him. He chewed his lip for several minutes, then finally said, "Maybe she hid him because she loved him."

Aaron looked at him, and they were close enough that Spencer could see the startlement in Aaron's eyes. Spencer shrugged.

"My mother loves me, and she tried for years to protect me, even if she thought the way to show that was by making tinfoil hats and throwing away the salt shakers because they could be bugged."

"Hm." Aaron turned his hand and brushed their fingers together. "I always wondered why my mother hid what he did to us. Why she lied over and over, why she covered bruises with makeup." His voice was so low Spencer had to lean in to hear it. "I wondered that until I started wearing long-sleeved shirts and lying too."

Spencer's throat ached. Aaron didn't talk about his father, even though Spencer knew about him. Spencer was afraid to say anything in case it made Aaron realize what he was saying. He pressed his lips together and remained silent.

"I swore one day I would be big enough to stop him." Aaron leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "But instead he almost killed Sean and my mother finally filed a restraining order and we left."

Spencer wanted to wrap his arms around Aaron. He wanted to brush the line from between his eyebrows. He wanted to take Aaron's pain--even remembered pain--away.

"Sean was her darling. He doesn't look like our father." Aaron sighed through his nose. "I hate cases like this."

Spencer didn't know what to say, so he held Aaron's hand and said nothing at all.

***

When they got back to Quantico, Spencer called Jessica first thing. His paperwork would wait a day. He left ahead of anyone else and went to pick up Jack by himself. Instead of going home, though, he drove back to Quantico. When they got there, he texted Aaron. Jack wasn't allowed inside the BAU any more. Not since Haley's death, and Spencer could understand that.

The minute Aaron walked out the door, though, Jack squirmed out of Spencer's arms and ran across the pavement towards him.

Aaron's face lit up and he went down on one knee to scoop his son into his arms.

That, Spencer thought, was the best comfort of all.  



End file.
